SOLACE+ (Strengthening the screening of Lung Cancer in Europe – Pilots, Learning, Uptake and Sustainability) launched on 1 November 2026, bringing together 46 partners from 22 EU Member States and Norway, to implement equitable, high-quality lung cancer screening programmes with AI-assisted workflows.
The launch of the project, coincides with Lung Cancer Awareness Month, underscoring the urgent need for action on Europe's deadliest cancer.
The 3-year project, co-funded by the EU4Health Programme, builds on the achievements of the original SOLACE project, which was also coordinated by EIBIR and screened over 30,000 people across 11 countries, demonstrated that targeted outreach reaches groups often missed by screening and influenced national screening policy in a number of countries.
SOLACE+ directly supports Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, the EU's comprehensive framework to tackle cancer from prevention to treatment and survivorship. The project contributes to the Plan's early detection pillar by helping Member States implement the Council Recommendation on cancer screening, which includes lung cancer screening for high-risk groups.
SOLACE+ will support Member States to design, plan, launch, evaluate and optimise low-dose CT (LDCT)-based lung cancer screening programmes. The project focuses on reaching high-risk and vulnerable populations, strengthening quality assurance and workforce capacity, integrating AI responsibly into radiological workflows and addressing remaining gaps including smoking cessation and adherence after baseline screening.
The project will evaluate and implement AI-assisted tools for nodule detection, risk stratification and workflow optimisation. These technologies support radiologists by improving detection accuracy, reducing reading time and enabling consistent quality across screening sites, while maintaining human oversight and clinical judgment.
Rozemarijn Vliegenthart, Scientific Co-Coordinator of the SOLACE+ project, said:
“Within SOLACE+ we will support 19 countries to build screening programmes that are sustainable, equitable and grounded in real-world evidence. That is how we turn lung cancer screening from a goal into practice."
Torsten Blum, Scientific Co-Coordinator of the SOLACE+ project, added:
“Screening saves lives if people can access it and quality is consistent. SOLACE proved that targeted outreach works. We screened over 30,000 people across 11 countries and reached groups who are often missed. SOLACE+ is about taking what we learned and making it work at scale.”
Monika Hierath, EIBIR Executive Manager, assures EIBIR ‘s full support of the project:
“We are proud that, following the successful closure of SOLACE, the lung cancer screening community also entrusted EIBIR with the coordination of its successor project SOLACE+. We will do our utmost to ensure the project delivers on its promises and achieves its ambitious objectives and look forward to taking lung cancer screening in Europe to the next level in collaboration with our 45 fellow partners.”
The project is scientifically led by Rozemarijn Vliegenthart and Torsten Blum with the support of Joanna Chorostowska-Wynimko and Helmut Prosch, representing the European Respiratory Society and the European Society of Radiology. The project brings together universities, university hospitals, health authorities, professional associations, patient organisations and research institutions from across Europe.
SOLACE+ aims to utilise this collaboration to deliver positive health outcomes at the individual level. By establishing sustainable screening programmed, the project aims to make early detection a reality for thousands more people.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Europe, responsible for over 250,000 deaths annually. Every November, Lung Cancer Awareness Month highlights the urgent need for action on this preventable tragedy. Evidence shows that LDCT screening can reduce lung cancer deaths, but implementation remains uneven across Member States. SOLACE+ addresses this by creating a coordinated cross-country implementation network, developing common standards, and building sustainable capacity for the long term – all aligned with Europe's Beating Cancer Plan objectives.
For more information, please visit our SOLACE+ section.
The SOLACE+ project is co-funded by the European Union’s EU4Health programme under Grant Agreement No. 101314323.
